ABSTRACT
Adenovirus infections have been associated with significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised hosts. The clinical significance of adenovirus disease in heart transplantation is not well-defined; in particular, the significance of adenovirus identification in myocardium remains unclear. Although severe adenovirus disease has been described in heart transplant recipients, adenovirus infections seem to be more frequently associated with increased risk of adverse cardiac events, such as rejection, ventricular dysfunction, coronary vasculopathy, need for retransplantation, and graft loss because of death. Cidofovir is currently considered the standard of treatment for adenovirus disease not responding to reduction of immunosuppression.
Subject(s)
Adenovirus Infections, Human/complications , Adenovirus Infections, Human/epidemiology , Heart Transplantation/adverse effects , Opportunistic Infections/complications , Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology , Adenovirus Infections, Human/drug therapy , Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use , Cidofovir , Coronary Disease/epidemiology , Cytosine/analogs & derivatives , Cytosine/therapeutic use , Graft Rejection/epidemiology , Humans , Incidence , Opportunistic Infections/drug therapy , Organophosphonates/therapeutic use , Risk Factors , Ventricular Dysfunction/epidemiologyABSTRACT
No treatment for NVE is available. Immunocompromised patients with NVE treated with OHIG (12 cases) were retrospectively identified and matched 1:1 by age and gender with immunocompromised patients with NVE not treated with OHIG (12 controls). Chi-squared test, t-test, bivariate conditional linear regression analyses, and Kaplan-Meier curve were performed. A total of 58.3% patients were small bowel transplant (SBT) recipients. Although not statistically significant, cases compared with controls were more likely to have had induction therapy (p = 0.25, OR = 65.3), higher peak tacrolimus levels (p = 0.43, OR = 1.04), SBT (p = 0.30, OR = 65.3), prior NVE (p = 0.42, OR = 2.0), TPN support (p = 0.42 OR = 2.0), and decrease in immunosuppression (p = 0.14, OR = 5.0). Treatment with OHIG favored resolution of diarrhea (p = 0.078, OR = 65.3) and decreased stool output seven days after treatment compared with controls (mean difference 11.95 mL/kg/day, p = 0.09). OHIG did not impact total time to resolution of diarrhea (mean 12.08 vs. 11.91 days; p = 0.63), length of hospital stay (p = 0.31, OR = 1.05), or cost of hospitalization (p = 0.32, OR = 1.0). We show a potential role of OHIG treatment for NVE. Resolution of diarrhea and decreased stool output were observed at seven days; no benefit was found for length of hospital stay or hospital cost.
